ECREA16-Abstract

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Saturday, November 12

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Local News Media and the Environment: Local News People Perceptions of Ecosystem Services and NATURA 2000 Network in Crete

M. Sakellari

, C. Archontaki

University of Crete, Natural History Museum of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

Local journalists deal with local environmental issues that are of the greatest interest for the audience at the given time (regardless their specialization

or personal interest), however literature contradicts the assumption that local media coverage helps to highlight policy problems within communities. In

Greece, the island of Crete has 53 NATURA 2000 sites that consist of natural, rural and urban landscapes. One of the most significant deductions of conser‑

vation work has been the ignorance of a vast majority of the public on the utility and financial potential of the NATURA 2000 network and still many people

in Crete believe that residing in a NATURA 2000 area excludes them from the development opportunities of the rest of the island or specific EU rural funds.

In this regard, this paper explores if the local news media in Crete contribute to and upholds the NATURA 2000 network in Crete. In particular, we conducted

a survey of local news media people and local residents to explore individual perceptions of the ecological, social and economic value of ecosystem services

in NATURA 2000 areas in Crete. This study offers important insights about the people behind the mediated messages that local people in Crete get about

the ecosystem services, NATURA 2000 network and other environmental policy tools, in parallel on how local people follow current environmental policy

affairs. Results indicate that participants recognize the environmental benefits of the NATURA 2000 network but seem overall reluctant to acknowledge

the economic and social benefits that could come from the network in parallel with the protection of the natural environment. We discuss the implications

of these findings on the role of local news media in directing the popular discussion about environmental issues.